Memories of a Heartless
by ShadowDragon07
Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...
1. Differences

Pairing: OcxSora

Genre: Romance, Adventure

Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...

Disclaimer: The only thing i own is mah oc and this story.

Comments: Pancakes~! \o3o/

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:<strong>

_"Differences"_

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><p>Darkness.<p>

That is all it's ever known since waking up. Nothing but pitch black, with swirls of deep purple every now and then. No light could pierce this dark place, nothing but the yellow eyes of the others.

Looking around, it stared at the small, black creatures with yellow eyes, ambling around with no purpose. The others stayed clear of it, though, and it did the same. Why? Well that was easy, it was different from the other creatures in here. At least that's what it believed.

Either way, they avoided it, and it avoided them. In the off chance that one or another got near it, they would make a gurgling hiss sound, then attack it for no reason. That proved to it that the others were not like it, as they never fought with each other.

Ignoring the creatures for now, it turned its attention back to inspecting its clawed hand. This happened quite often, seeing as there wasn't much else to do. Finished inspecting its hand, it would then twitch its antennas, tilting its head side to side as it released a hissing hum.

Today is just like yesterday.

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><p>They were at it again, it observed.<p>

The Others were walking around, agitated over something, and seemed to be intent on picking a fight with it. That was ok though, because it used this chance to its favor. It learned to fight.

Dodging One, it jumped on the head of another, vaulting off to kick the third in the face and away. Not waiting to see the creature fly away and hit the ground, it turned its attention back to the other two remaining.

Charging forward, it slid under the swiping claws of Second, kicking out and knocking it one swipe, it sent Second flying off as well, letting its focus return to One. This one was always the hardest to fell, as it was a larger one of them.

One charged first, giving off a gurgling hiss and swiping its thick claws at it. Ducking under the swipe, it backflipped away before charging back in. It managed to kick out one leg, causing One to fall face first onto the ground.

It seeped into the ground as it pounced, missing the chance to finally be rid of One. Jumping back, it narrowly missed getting a claw to the face. Darting back in, it faked a lunge, rolling to the side and leaping onto the head of One.

Slashing its claws across One's face, it flipped over and made sure to land on its back. Before One could retaliate, it lifed its legs up and kicked, sending the last creatures sailing out into the mass of Others.

Standing, it dusted itself off, watching at the three ambled away, uninterested in continuing. That was fine in its opinion. It didn't like fighting, another difference from it and the Others. A group would disappear, some returning injured, others never returning at all.

It made sure to remember this and the new moves it learned today. Another major difference it had compared to the Others.

Unlike them….it had _memories._

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><p>Today was just like yesterday; the Others as it called them, were milling about without destination. Its three annoyances hadn't come by yet, which was a blessing in itself. But soon, things would change. It just knew it.<p>

The how came in the form of a dark portal appearing in the center of the Others. From the portal, stepped a cloaked figure, much taller than them.

With the attention of every Other on it, the figure chuckled heartily, identifying itself as a man. Arm spread wide, it spoke, voice deep.

_**Now is the time, Shadow Heartless. It is time to leave the Realm of Darkness and wipe the slate clean.**_

The Others seemed eager to follow this man, but it was hesitant. It was unsure why, but it did not like, nor want to follow the man. So, while the Others eagerly flocked to follow the man's commands, it returned to its 'corner' of the darkness.

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><p>It had been poking around in the 'memories' that it possessed again. They fascinated it for sure. Not only did it have memories from when it first opened its eyes to the world of darkness, but it held memories from before the darkness.<p>

In the memories, it was referred to as a female, so she took to thinking that she was. The name of the girl in her memories was never said, or clear when she thought it was said, so she stopped trying to figure it out.

She enjoyed poking around in her memories quite often, enjoying the biggest difference she had from the Others, or Heartless as the man continued to call them. She didn't care what they were called either way, so long as he did not call on her to leave the comfort and safety of her corner.

Through her memories, she learned of the outside worlds, and of the light and warmth they exerted. All she had ever felt was darkness and cold, she wondered what it was like to really feel the light and warmth.

She learned of cities, towns and people. There was all kinds, shapes and sizes of all, each intriguing her. It was more exciting than her world for sure.

Countless days passed like this, her sitting around, poking at her memories. When not doing that, she was practicing her fighting moves on the three idiots, a new word she'd learned from her memories. Today felt like it would be a new day, different from the others from before.

Her thoughts were confirmed true as the man came through the portal. Other heartless flocked around him, eager to be given a task in their purposeless life. She watched as he raised his arms again, speaking to all.

_**It has been set into motion. The Darkness grows. Worlds are consumed one by one. The wheels of Fate are turning once more. The Darkness will win this time.**_

Heartless began swarming into the portal he left open for them, leading them to their next destination. As she watched, a new feeling welled inside her small body. She wanted to see the outside world from her dreams. Feel the warmth and light.

With that thought in mind, she took her first step forward. The first of many that would lead her down a road of trials, hardships and even….friendship.

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><p>Hai hai! Shadow here! Sorry if the chapter seems a wee bit on the short side. It's been a long while since i wrote, so you'll have to forgive me until i get back in the groove of things. I've been debating on writing this or not, so i thought 'what the hay, why not?'. Depending on how it goes from here will determine if i continue with the story or not. Hope you all enjoyed chapter one~!<p> 


	2. New Resolve

Pairing: OcxSora

Genre: Romance, Adventure

Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...

Disclaimer: The only thing i own is mah oc and this story.

Comments: Muffins~! \o3o/

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

"_New Resolve"_

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><p>Bright.<p>

It was the first thing she noticed when she stepped out of the dark portal. It seemed to get less bright when she lifted up a claw, holding it just over her eyes.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, and the scenery before her was breathtaking. So much green. Grass, her memory supplied. The grassy land seemed to go on as far as she could see. A few trees dotted the landscape, but it only seemed to enhance its beauty.

Throughout the grassy fields, colored plants, flowers, were spotted. She could almost see every color possible dotted around the area. An old cottage stood off to the far right, up on a hill.

She observed the straw roof it had, walls made of wooden logs stacked together. It was very...homey...feeling. Somewhere that would be warm and comfortable.

Warmth.

It was another foreign feeling for her. Finished observing the scenery before her, she focused on the warmth she could feel from all around. It was a nice feeling, one that she would remember for a long time.

Closing her eyes, she relished in the warmth and light all around her. This was definitely better than the cold, dark place she woke up in. If possible, she'd prefer to stay here forever and never go back.

With a small sigh, she turns away from the scene in front of her, wondering what was behind her now. It seemed to be a decent sized town, similar to the cottage out in the field.

The road was made of little pebbles in a neat path, going down each street and to every house. Curious now, she scuttled down the street, ignoring the few Heartless that had come with her. The pebbles beneath her feet was an odd feeling indeed.

Walking up to the door, she stared at it for a few moments, debating on how to get in. Deciding to go with the easy route, she sinks into the shadows and under the door, popping back out when inside. The house was dark, meaning no one was about. Good for her, she wanted to look around first before figuring out what the people here looked like.

Letting curiosity take the better of her, she scurried through the house, hopping onto chairs to look at tables, crawling across counters to inspect the things sat on them. Opening one cabinet, she spots boxes and bags stuffed into the cupboard.

Eyes roving over the contents, she spots a brightly colored bag stuffed to the right. Unable to resist, she takes it down, sitting on the counter to inspect her find. She takes to poking and pulling on the bag, delving into her memory to see if she could find out how to see what was inside.

Coming up with a blank, she huffs and tosses the bag down, only to hop down right onto it. The bag exploded with a loud -pop-, spilling its contents all over the floor.

Giving a delighted purr, she hops off the bag and inspects the flat, yet wavy things. Poking it resulted in the odd disk to break. Sniffing it filled her nose, does she have one?, with the smell of salty and sour.

Picking up an undamaged 'chip', word provided by her memories once again, she inspects it. Turning it over and over, she opens her mouth and shoves it in. Chewing, she's startled by the sharp, bitter taste, but finds it oddly addictive.

Growling happily, the odd Heartless proceeds to devour the whole bag of chips, licking the salty flavor off her claws when done. Further inspection of the cupboard provides no more bags of the delicious chips.

Disappointed, she continues her exploration of the living quarters, finding out the bouncy bed was a great source of entertainment for a while. She eventually grew bored of this as well, though, going over to the other door in the room.

Inside lay a large cluster of cloths hanging on metal things, hangers apparently. Rummaging around, she found a red hat with frilly ends. Placing it on her head idly, she went back to digging, strewing things everywhere as she hummed.

Not finding anything else of interest, she walked out of the room and to the next. This one had a weird bowl with a back, and a tall long thing with a hole in it. Crawling up the bowl and onto the counter, she peered around, squeaking in surprise when she spotted something in the mirror.

Tumbling off, she shook her head to clear her dazed state. She then quickly scurried back up, eyeing the creature in the mirror...herself. Reaching out, she touched the mirror, curiosity peaking. She tilted her head, amused when her reflection did the same.

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><p>The sound of a scream tore her away from making funny faces in the mirror, gaze shifting towards the exit. Hopping off of the counter, she quickly scuttled to the exit, slipping under the door and to the world outside.<p>

What met her sight when she reached it...would stay with her for a long, long time. Fire, it covered the roofs of nearly every house in the town. People ran around in panic, some trying in vain to put out the fires.

The rest….were running from the Heartless. Frozen in horror, she watched as people were jumped by her brethren, a heart floating into the sky before a new heartless joined their numbers. She could do nothing as she watched the horror continue, frozen in place.

It took a human falling down before her to finally snap the little shadow out of her terror induced daze. Fear filled green eyes met terror clouded yellow eyes, neither moving. The human, a man, was soon jumped by her brethren, choking on a scream before he fell limp.

She continued to stare, even after the man faded into a pool of inkiness before reforming into a new Heartless. Even after the fresh Heartless went to join its new comrades in attacking the remaining humans, she stayed still.

Slowly, she gazed back around, taking in all the terror filled screams, and crackling as fire ate everything it touched.

'_How. How could they do this?'_ Flited across her blank mind.

Her shock was finally broken as a panic driven human ran into her, unintentionally kicking her a few feet away. Bouncing to a stop, she looked back at the human that had fallen to the ground. It was a woman.

Standing, she slowly crept closer to the woman, wanting to get a closer look, curiosity compelling her forward. At the sound of her footsteps, the panting woman quickly looked up.

Blue eyes met yellow, the woman letting out a scream soon after. Flinching back, she took two steps backwards.

"NO! Get away from me you monster!" Cried the woman, scrambling to her feet and taking off in the other direction. She stood rooted to her spot, watching as the woman was tackled by a group of heartless, soon turned just like the rest.

'_...Monster?...'_ she thought slowly, lifting a clawed hand to stare at it. '_I'm a...monster?'_

Lifting her gaze, she stared out at the destruction and chaos. Head slowly shaking, she stepped backwards once. Twice. Turning, she then lept forward, diving into a portal and away from the screams and crackling of fire.

'_I'm a monster...'_

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><p>She did not go out with the Others the next time, or the time after that. She remained in her 'corner', staring forlornly at her claws. She could not get what that woman screamed out of her mind, no matter how many times she tried to unremember.<p>

If this is what it meant to be a Heartless: Destruction...Chaos...Death… She did not want to be a part of that. In her memories, she'd seen countless other humans. They were laughing together, grieving, standing up for what they believed.

She was envious of them. The longer she stayed here, the more confined she felt. Like a bird in a cage. She did not want to be here anymore. Not here with the Others, who wished to cause grief and misfortune to all that were near.

But...she was afraid. Afraid of the reaction from the woman. Would others do the same if they too seen her? Of course, for she was just like them. A Heartless. She did not belong with the humans and other beings of the worlds.

Standing by and watching their whole worlds disappear...that wasn't something she could stand. She may not be able to join the beings, but she wouldn't let them become what she was.

With that thought firmly implanted in her mind, she stood up from her spot. Standing firm and strong, she gazed around at her brethren, yellow eyes narrowing.

She would stay here, for now. But, she would venture out with them each and every time they left to a world. The difference? Instead of joining them in destruction, she would instead fight back against them.

She would fight to protect those that could not protect themselves from the Heartless. Even if she were to fail the world, at least she knew that she had given it her all, and tried to make a difference in their fate.

She was merely one of hundreds of billions of Heartless, saving all worlds was an impossible task. She would instead focus on a small group of worlds, maybe even one fully. Either way, she would do her best to fight back against the darkness.

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><p>Many worlds had fallen to the hands of the Heartless, so many fates sealed in the darkness. Just as she had vowed, every world that was attacked, she had fought back against her brethren. She hoped that the few humans and other beings she'd saved had managed to get to those odd ships outside the worlds.<p>

Gummi ships, they had been called. She'd never been on one, but was quite curious about them. There was more pressing matters than what the inside of one looked like. She had learned much from her time following the Others and protecting the worlds.

There were in fact, some beings that could protect themselves from the Heartless. And in turn, those beings protected as many as they could that were unable to protect themselves. She took care in avoiding these beings, and taking down any Heartless that went for them.

She was unsure if any had seen her, or figured out what she was up to if they did. Either way, she did her part to help the worlds. Most fell anyways, but there were a small few that did manage to survive.

This one in particular, it gained much of her attention. It was a place that was both bright, and warm. Many children lived here, often gathering at a special place to have their fun. She took great care to keep the Heartless from this world.

The ocean was a very curious thing to her, cold and salty, yet it was a great form of entertainment to the beings she protected here. The sand was gritty and coarse, yet yielding to the weight of her feet.

She hung around a particular tree on this...island. It was unclear what caused this tree to be bent at such a painful angle, but it seemed...right. The children loved to hang out on this tree when she were not there, but always nearby.

One child caught her focus, such a cheerful child, rarely any darkness or negativity about him. He was very special. She did not find out how special until she watched him and another, older boy stand on the island together, preparing to 'duel'.

This boy wielded a _key shaped weapon_.

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><p>Hai Hai! Shadow here! Chapter 2 finally up. Goodness that took a bit of effort. I had fun with this chapter, especially the chip bag and the mirror part. I want to thank warrior of six blades for motivating me to keep up with this story. Least that means it's getting some interest! Our little Heartless has stumbled across an interesting character, i'm sure you all can guess who it is. ;P Things are going to get pretty interesting soon. So make sure to review and follow!<p> 


	3. Journey Start

Pairing: OcxSora

Genre: Romance, Adventure

Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...

Disclaimer: The only thing i own is mah oc and this story.

Comments: Muffins~! \o3o/

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong>

"_Journey Start"_

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><p>She lost count of the days she visited the world of Destiny Islands, checking up on the children and boy. He was clearly not a child, as he was much bigger than the others, but he had the heart of one.<p>

His name was Sora.

She always kept her distance, not wanting to gain a reaction from his key shaped blade, called a Keyblade by him and the others. It gave off an odd feeling to her instincts, making her want to flee the area quickly. She stayed however, ever curious about the boy named Sora, and the weapon he used.

Another boy, Riku, wielded one too, but it didn't give off the same light as Soras. It felt...darker, more similar to the darkness and Heartless. She did not like anything similar in feeling to her kin, so she avoided that boy. That didn't mean he wasn't good, though. He acted almost like an older brother to Sora. Always watching over him, sparring with him to pass the time, or just hanging out at their little island area.

The girl that always joined the pair gave off the feeling of pure light, a feeling that caused her slight pain when nearby. She avoided this girl too. Kairi was her name. It wasn't to say she didn't like her, the girl was nice, especially to the boy. She encouraged his childish heart, and that made her ok to the little Heartless.

It was getting late now, she could see that the three were preparing to leave. Riku was already heading off to the raft they rode in to get there. Kairi was talking with Sora on the Paopu Tree, both gazing up at the 'stars' above.

"Do you think there will ever be complete peace, Sora?" Kairi asked wistfully, leaning back on her hands.

"Of course there will be, Kairi!" He replied confidently, hands resting behind his head. "And if not, then we'll be there to stop the bad guys!"

"Hey you two!" Riku shouted from the raft. "Come on or i'm leaving you both behind!"

"Coming!" Kairi called, giggling as she hopped down off the tree. Turning to Sora, she smiled, hands clasped behind her back. "Come on, Sora!"

Giving his signature grin, Sora hopped off the tree as well. Only to turn and take off running. "Race you there, Kairi!" Laughing, he ignored her cry of unfairness, continuing down the walkway and to the main part of their secret island.

Reaching Riku, he leaned over, resting his hands on his knees as he panted. When he caught his breath, he looked up at Kairi as she finally reached them. "Ha-ha! I won, Kairi!"

The girl merely huffed, crossing her arms. "No fair, Sora! You got a head start on me."

"Enough you two, just help me push the raft out so we can head home." Riku interrupted, untying the rope from the post. While Kairi stepped over to help, Sora gazed out at the Paopu tree and the sky above it, wondering if there really would be permanent peace in the worlds.

Unbeknownst to the little Heartless, she had shifted on the branch of the tree she was sitting on, preparing to follow the trio home before going back to the darkness realm. Looking up to see how the three were fairing, startled yellow eyes connected with shocked blue eyes, the Heartless freezing.

The two stared at one another from the distance between them, neither moving.

"C'mon, Sora. Stop lazing about." Riku gruffed, hitting Sora's shoulder and causing him to break eye contact and stumble a few steps. Righting himself, Sora quickly looked up where he thought he had clearly seen a Heartless staring down at him.

Nothing stood at the top of the tree, the same one that was merely a few feet from where the three of them had been for part of the evening. "What-" He mumbled, staring in confusion. He was positive that he'd seen the heartless, but it was nowhere. But the keyblade would have appeared in his hand if one were around.

"Soooraa." Kairi wheedled, walking over to him. "What are you staring at?"

Blinking, he turned his focus back on his two friends, Kairi looking at him concerned, Riku staring suspiciously. Shaking his head again, he grinned at the pair, putting his hands behind his head.

"Ah, it was nothing. Let's go home now, guys. I'm hungry."

"You're _always_ hungry, Sora!" Kairi groaned exasperatedly, hands on her hips, but she turned and focused back on helping Riku with the raft.

Looking back towards the Paopu Island, Sora frowned once more. Maybe he had just imagined it. Who was he kidding anyways? Heartless never traveled alone.

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><p>'<em>That was a close one.'<em> The little Heartless thought as she made her way back to the darkness realm. '_He almost spotted me.'_ She didn't know why, but she just knew that it wouldn't be good if he spotted her again.

Reaching the darkness, she frowned right out. Something was amiss….the Heartless were all agitated again. They didn't normally go around acting agitated. '_This only happened when-'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when a dark portal was opened in the center of the area. The cloaked man stepped out, his portal remaining behind him. The Heartless flocked to him as usual, giving hisses of eagerness. They were to get a purpose once more.

Raising his arms to gain their focus, he spoke in the same deep tone.

"_**The Darkness grows stronger, as do the Heartless. Consume hearts and destroy everything, leave nothing and no one behind. The Keyblade's chosens will fall one by one. Go forth now and do my bidding!"**_

'_Keyblade? I wonder if that is the weapon that Sora wields.'_ The little Heartless pondered on that thought for a moment before casting it to the back of her mind. She had more important matters to focus on right now. Sighing, she took off after the Others and hopped into the portal, not noticing the man's gaze following her.

The portal took them to a strange looking town. The houses were crammed together down each street, all with slightly different designs to them. The roofs were either colored in purple, or a shade between red and orange. The cobblestone pathways were light, nearly silver white in color.

She traveled down the streets, slinking along via the shadows. She stared up at the huge building in the center of the town, tilting her head slightly to the side. The building looked half destroyed. This didn't really matter though, for she could hear her brethren wreaking havoc.

With a soft sigh, she quickly took off to the closest area she could hear screams from. The little Heartless just knew it wouldn't end well, she just hoped that this world wouldn't fall into darkness like the rest. It appeared to have already gone through so much.

It didn't take her too long to dispose of the heartless down the street, a few of them escaping into the portals. Her focus was stolen, as a feminine scream tore through the air. Looking around quickly, she darted in the direction she believed it to have come from. It led her to some kind of town square, even though it was round.

The center seemed to dip down further into the ground, stairs leading from the level she was at, to the bottom level. There, she found the woman, collapsed on the ground and surrounded by Shadow Heartless. Her brown hair covered her face from view, splayed out around her head.

'_Looks like she's unconscious. Good for me.'_ If she could, she would have grinned, having spotted Third in the group. It was one of the three that always annoyed her and picked fights with her on a daily basis. She would enjoy this.

With an angry hiss, she lept into action, jumping off the top stairs and into the fray. Landing on the ground, she swiped at the closest Heartless' chest, ripping it apart and sending it back to the Realm of Darkness. She wished she could get rid of them for good, but she knew not how to do that.

While fighting, she had to make sure to avoid the strange pillars of light that popped up every now-and-then. She'd seen what one of those pillars did to her kin, and didn't feel like getting vaporized today.

Focusing back on the fight, she jumped away as another Heartless went to take a swipe at her. Grinning, she slowly led the group away from the woman. When she was sure they were far enough away, she tore into them, sending Heartless back left and right. She wanted to make sure that Third was the last one left.

He was the easiest, and weakest apparently. It didn't take long to tear Third down. With great satisfaction, she slashed at the Heartless' face, then chest, finishing it off. Watching as it faded out of this world and be sent back to the Realm, she then made a visual sweep of the area before taking off back up the stairs.

If she would have just looked back once more, she would have spotted the woman in pink staring at her retreating form, eyes wide in surprise and confusion.

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><p>It took some time whittling down the Heartless so the beings of this world could fight back. The hyper girl was soundly avoided, she freaked her out. The brooding man with spiky brown hair and a weapon that was both a blade and a gun was avoided as well. He was relentless in his attacking.<p>

As the rest of the Heartless retreated back to the Realm of Darkness, she remained to survey the damage. Some beings had lost their hearts, but more than she'd imagined were spared. That gave her great relief, especially when she spotted the brown haired woman wearing all pink.

Considering her survey complete, the little Heartless turned and jumped into a portal, heading back 'home'. She wondered if they would be sent out again, it was wishful thinking that they'd get a rest.

Returning, she was startled to find the cloaked man already there, ordering the Heartless about. She didn't mind him much, seems he was just sending them out to gather needed things. She went to her customary corner, wanting to get a little rest before it was her turn to go out and gather.

She was startled awake when one of the Heartless ran into her, excited over something. Shaking her head, the little Heartless stood up, taking in what was going on around her. Heartless were running around, jittering and twitching in their subdued excitement.

She did not like this one bit.

Looking around, she caught sight of a portal opening off to the right and a quite a few yards from where she was. Looking around again, she spotted the man still there. Standing up, she looked at him, then the portal, and then back to him.

Just as she had thought, the man lifted up his arms, speaking clearly and loudly for all to hear.

"_**Your time has come. The first strike has been made. Go forth and swarm, my Heartless. The first wielder shall fall today."**_

She frowned in confusion at his words, trying to understand what he meant. She knew what first meant, but not 'wielder'. Could that mean a 'keyblade wielder'. That didn't make any sense though. The only keyblade wielders she knew of were-

Yellow eyes widening in realization as the other Heartless started swarming into the portal, she let out a small squeak of horror. They were going after Sora and Riku! She wouldn't let it happen, though. Eyes narrowing in determination, she darted towards the portal along with the rest.

She would not let the Others consume the world she worked so hard to protect. Nor would she allow them to harm the three she had special picked to keep an eye on. With that resolve firmly implanted in her mind, she dove into the portal, ignoring the dark, chilling feeling always accompanying it.

* * *

><p>The island was in utter chaos.<p>

Shadow Heartless were swarming the small island that the children would normally play at. She could just make out other Heartless types roaming around the beach nearby. Rushing forward and climbing up the Paopu Tree, she gazed around freverently for any sign of the brunette, red-head or platinum haired boy. She could see that there was obvious signs of damage and resistance, causing her hope to swell.

'_They have to still be alive.'_ She thought anxiously, continuing to gaze around. The sound of metal meeting flesh suddenly reached her ears, causing her to swivel her head around in that direction. '_The other side of the coast!'_ She thought in glee, jumping from the tree and into the shadows, making her way toward the sounds of combat.

Her glee turned to fear at the sight she found at the beach. Her kin were everywhere! Shadows, Neo Shadows, Soldiers….there were so many, she was unable to really tell what all kinds there were there. A sound off to her left caused her to turn her gaze away from the Others.

'_Sora!'_ She shouted in her mind, panicked at seeing him surrounded by a swarm of Heartless. Keyblade in hand, he swung relentlessly at them, a determined expression on his face. It was in this instance that she learned why her instincts screamed at her to avoid the keyblade.

She starred in surprise and fear as she watched him take down each of her kin, hearts floating into the air and disappearing in his wake. She was surprised at how his simple weapon could do what she couldn't, but was glad he had something so effective on his side. She was afraid, however, because it seemed like his attempts were futile.

For every one he destroyed, three took its place. It was obvious that he was fighting a losing battle. Not about to give in, however, she set about attacking her kin out of his range of sight, slowly decreasing what numbers she could.

While in the midst of fighting, she heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps coming their way. Glancing back, her eyes widened as she quickly dove into the shadows, just barely missing getting skewered by another keyblade. Observing from the shadows, she was surprised to find out that the owner was none other than Kairi.

"Sora!" the girl cried out worriedly, making her way towards the boy, cutting down Heartless along the way. She could tell that the poor girl didn't have much training in how to fight, but she was managing.

Cutting a Shadow in half, Sora turned to look back at his friend, brightening at the sight of her. "Kairi! You're alright!" Whipping back forward, he football punted a Shadow a few yards away, slashing at to more before he turned his gaze back to the girl.

"Have you seen Riku? I lost sight of him when the Heartless attacked." He deflated slightly when the girl shook her head, turning back to focus on the Soldier trying to sneak up on her.

"No. I haven't seen him either. These things are everywhere!" She growled out, slamming her flowery blade down upon a Heartless' head and destroying it. "Maybe he's over by the boat?"

It was the best option they had, so the two started making their way in that direction. The little Shadow followed the pair, staying hidden within the shadows. She'd occasionally come out to attack a Heartless that looked too close for her comfort, then dive back into the shadows to follow once again.

Reaching the boat dock, the group spotted Riku up ahead. He was surrounded by so many Heartless, it looked to be a sea of writhing black ink and yellow eyes. He didn't seem worried, attacking any that got too close to him.

"Riku!" Sora cried out, worried for his best friend. Before he could do more than take a step towards him, the Heartless seemed to surge forth like a wave, washing over the trio. The little Heartless lept out of the shadows, diving into the mass closest to her. She blindly waved her arms about, shoving other Heartless out of the way, searching for her target.

At last, she spotted a flash of pink flesh. Shoving forward, she grabbed the hand just barely in her view with both of hers. Firmly holding on, she shoved against her brethren, slowly pulling the hand and attached arm out from the mass. Just as his hand had started to curl around and cling to hers, she released it and dove into the shadows.

No sooner did this happen, that the hand extended above the pile clenched, raining down a shower of lightning soon after. Free of the Heartless, Sora jumped up and glanced around, diving right into the pile that Kairi must've been under. He hacked and slashed at each heartless, finally revealing the unconscious girl. He quickly gathered her into his arms, holding her in one as he used the other to swipe at the Heartless still around.

Glancing over to check on Riku revealed that he had managed to fight his way free of the mass, but wasn't faring so well. With the fact that he blocked their advances more than he did attacking them, it clearly proved that thought. Sora had no choice but to focus back on the Heartless around him, who were back and ready for round two.

He lost count on how long he'd fought the Heartless one-handed, everything seemingly a blur to him. He wouldn't give up, though, his friends were counting on him. Slashing at the Heartless before him, Sora was startled by a sudden shout from behind him.

"Sora! Look out!"

Whipping around to stare in the direction that the familiar voice cried out in, his gaze was, instead, filled with ink black and sickly yellow. It was too close for him to attack, and he couldn't dodge while still holding onto Kairi. Eyes scrunching closed as he waited for the inevitable, he became confused when a whistling sound met his ears.

Eyes snapping open, he stared in shock as the Shadow Heartless was slammed into by a rounded shield. He followed its path with his eyes, not even noticing the rain of lightning and fire surrounding him and vanquishing the Heartless close to him. A huge grin spread across his face as he finally found the source of his savior.

"Donald! Goofy! Boy am I glad to see you two!"

The two could only grin at the boy before focusing back on the fight at hand. The Heartless had regrouped and were surging towards them once again. With his friends here, Sora seemed empowered, taking down Heartless one after another. The little heartless watched the group proudly, amazed at their teamwork and abilities against the Others.

She didn't know anything about the short duck in blue and the tall, goofy looking dog man with the shield, but she was glad they were here. She sat back in the shadows and watched the duck cast a vast array of magic spells, clearing the way towards Sora and the downed Kairi. The dog man followed behind him, protecting his back from leaping Heartless.

When the group met, Sora quickly handed Kairi over to the duck, Donald he'd called him, then. That made the dog man Goofy then. Odd name indeed, but she didn't dwell on it. Knowing Kairi was in capable hands, Sora threw himself into the fray once more, attacking Heartless left and right. With his friends at his back, they'd win for sure.

The tide was slowly changing, she could clearly see it, anyone with eyes could see it really. The Heartless were fewer in number, in big clumps now instead of a sea of black like they had been before. Between the three and Riku, they were making much headway now. Sadly, their gaining triumph wasn't to be a full success.

During a wave of Heartless attacks, the group and little Heartless were startled out of their groove by a startled shout. Heads turning, they spotted Riku, knocked to the ground, keyblade out of reach. It disappeared a moment later, the boy's energy completely spent.

"Riku!" Sora cried out, turning and focusing his attacks in Riku's direction. He wasn't making much progress, sadly. "Riku! Get up! Fight" he continued to shout, struggling to reach his downed friend. The other boy lifted himself up onto his elbows, panting heavily from exhaustion. Lifting his head up, he managed to catch Sora's gaze and weakly smile before the Heartless swarmed him.

"RIKU! No! Fight them!" He shouted in panic now, slashing and swiping freverently. He was held back either way, the others converging on him. Looking between the group and mass covering Riku, she had to make a decision. Sora was alright, for now. He had Kairi and his friends, the latter making their way over to join Sora. Riku, on the other hand, he was all alone.

Mind made up, she darted through the shadows, making her way to the pile. She could see the shadows spreading out beneath them, the group slowly starting to sink into the ground. She ignored the sounds of the desperate boy's cries for his friend, focusing on her task at hand. As she came closer, she spotted his foot, sticking out from beneath the pile of Shadow Heartless pressing in on him.

Leaping out of the shadows, she latched onto his ankle, clinging onto it. She could feel the pulling sensation below her, it would be a matter of moments now. Looking up, she focused on the group a ways away from them. The Others had reeled back, avoiding Sora as he swung his keyblade wildy in the air, furious and desperate to get to his friend.

The dog man, Goofy, had his arms around Sora, holding im in place. The duck, Donald, stood protectively beside Kairi's unconscious form, throwing out all kinds of spells. If they didn't do something, they would be overtaken just like this boy.

'_Retreat...'_ She mumbled to herself. '_Retreat for now, my friends. Do not worry, everything will be alright.'_ She wished she could believe her own thoughts, uncertain if Riku would survive or not. She watched as Goofy picked Sora up, stepping back closer to Donald and Kairi. Donald had already grabbed Kairi's arm, reaching out and grabbing Goofy's pants leg.

She was confused by this gesture, but Sora seemed to understand instantly. "NO!" He cried desperately, struggling in Goofy's hold. "No! We can't leave him! Riku! Riku get up!" That sound...she didn't like it. Not one bit. She didn't like the broken tone and look on the boy's face. It didn't suit him one bit.

A light sparkle seemed to envelop the group as she felt the shadows around her middle now. It would be any moment now, she knew. Glancing down at the shoe in front of her, she then looked back up, gaze connecting with terrified blue orbs. If she could, she'd smile reassuringly.

She was up to her head now, her vision going dark as the shadows slowly enveloped her and the Others. The two stared at one another until the boy and his friends were fully enveloped in the sparkling light, disappearing moments after.

Internally smiling to herself, she let the darkness take them. To where, she had no clue. But on this was for sure.

_Don't worry, Sora.'_ She thought to herself, promising the boy. '_I'll keep your friend safe from the Darkness.'_

* * *

><p><em>Hai hai! Shadow here. Phew! This took a bit to write. RL is pretty hectic right now, so writing is a little slow. It should hopefully pick up in the next couple weeks though. Doubled the chapter words as well, trying to make it feel 'fuller' in each chapter. Hopefully 4k is enough, that took a lot out of me. lol Anyways! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Left it off at a very exciting cliffhanger. Keep an eye out for the next chapter. Lots to do for Sora and the gang, and of course our special little Shadow Heartless. Stay tuned!<em>


	4. The Waiting Game

Pairing: OcxSora

Genre: Romance, Adventure

Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...

Disclaimer: The only thing i own is mah oc and this story.

Comments: Sorry for the long wait, RL probs and work. Enjoy ch 4~! \o3o/

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong>

"_The Waiting Game"_

* * *

><p>Once Kairi was placed in the spare room to rest, Sora returned to the main room of the Gummi ship. He stopped behind the main chair, which was currently occupied by Donald. He could only stand there, heart clenching in his chest, as he watched his home world be swallowed up by the Darkness. They all knew they'd be wiped out if they were to go down and attempt to face all the heartless currently swarming the world at this very moment.<p>

He remained there until the world was completely engulfed, the darkness flaring outwards before imploding inwards. Nothing was left when it was all over, just an empty place in the vastness of space.

"Sorry, Sora." Donald murmured out.

"It's ok, Donald...I'm just glad you guys came when you did. We would have been goners." Sora replied, waving his hand dismissively to the sullen duck. "I'm guessing there's more trouble than just on our islands if the king sent you, right?"

"Ahyuk, that's right, Sora." Goofy piped up, turning to face his friend. "Heartless just started poppin up on lots of worlds recently. So he sent us ta get you guys and bring ya to the castle."

"Well then...I guess all we can do now is go talk to the king. Maybe he'll know where we can start looking for Riku." Sora mumbled, finally turning away from the view of the empty space. "If anyone needs me, i'm gonna go rest." Neither of the two disagreed with the boy, knowing he needed time to process what had happened, and what was to come.

The boy went to his customary room, nothing having changed from the last time he was aboard the gummi ship. Not really paying attention to his room details, he walks over to his bed and flops down onto it. Grumbling faintly, he shifts around, eventually managing to kick off one shoe, then the other.

After laying there for an unknown amount of time, Sora rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had too many thoughts on his mind to allow him to drift off to slumber now. Nearly all centered around the event that had just occurred. The Heartless had come out from nowhere, and there were so many. The only time he'd seen that many, was back when he had to fight a thousand Heartless.

He was so thankful that his friends had come, and they had managed to save Kairi from the Heartless as well. If only they could've saved Riku too…

"I hope you're alright...Riku…" the saddened boy mumbled into the air. With a heavy sigh, he rolled onto his side. '_I'm sure Riku will be alright….He's been in the darkness before and survived.'_ Letting his thoughts wander, he gazed quietly at his hand, eyelids half open.

His brows furrowed as he continued to stare at his hand, slowly closing it as a thought emerged from the back of his mind. He remembered, while the many Shadows had dog piled him, someone had pulled him up. Saved him from being turned into a Heartless once again. There was only one problem to that.

'_Kairi was covered in the Heartless too...and Riku was too far away, much less able to wade through all the Heartless still attacking him. So…._who _saved me?'_ This thought buzzed around his brain like an agitated bee, going round and round, never stilling. He was positive that someone had pulled-no, _tugged_ on his hand, giving him enough wiggle room to cast Thundaga.

Unable to figure it out, his thoughts drifted to just before Riku was swallowed up by the darkness. In that instant, right before they were teleported to the Highwind, he swore that he'd seen one of the Heartless staring back at him.

"Heartless are mindless creatures of Darkness though… Maybe i was just seeing things? It had to've been it. I must've been too exhausted, and just imagined it. Yeah, that was it." He mumbled drowsily, opening and closing his hand once more.

He decided to not think about the Heartless right now, or whether Riku was safe or not. He was supposed to be resting before they got to the castle. It wouldn't do to have him falling asleep while talking with the king.

With that thought in mind, he sighed heavily as his eyes closed.

"Be careful, Riku…" He mumbled before letting his body relax, drifting off to sleep soon after.

* * *

><p>Sora was awoken a few hours later by a knock on his door, followed by Goofy calling out to him.<p>

"Sora, you awake? We'll be reachin the castle soon. Kairi's already up and in the main room"

"I'm up, Goofy. I'll be there in a bit." The groggy boy replied, rolling over on his bed. After the footsteps receded, he slowly sat up, rubbing his head sleepily. Yawning, he slipped out of bed, walking to the door and out, heading to the front.

Just as he'd said, Kairi was there, standing beside Donald as he piloted the ship. Hearing him enter, she turned around and smiled at her friend.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Did you rest well?"

"Yeah, i feel much better now!" He replied, leaning his weight to one side as he rest his hands behind his head.

"That's good, cause we're almost to the castle." Donald interrupted, pointing towards the front window.

Looking out, they could all see the Disney Castle on the world below. It was just as grand as he remembered. If only they could visit under better circumstances. Sighing faintly the brunette turned towards his friends.

"Well...Time to go meet with the king and find out what's going on with the worlds again."

Everyone nodded before they went towards the teleporting pad, waiting to be teleported down. Once down, Sora glanced around, a small smile forming on his face. He would never get tired of the scenery and overall grandness of the castle and its grounds.

Making it to Mickey's study, Sora stepped forward and pushed open the door, gazing around once inside. Books were in their shelf spots, weird brooms with arms carting around water buckets, King Mickey was writing away at his desk and Queen Minnie was standing patiently beside him. '_Just as i remember.'_ He thought, smiling.

"Your Majesty! We're here!" He called out joyfully, startling the occupants of the room. He sheepishly grinned when Kairi swatted at his shoulder, scolding him for startling them.

"Ah, it's alright, Kairi." Mickey soothed the irritated girl. Hopping down from his chair, he walked over to the group. "Sorry to hear about your world, fellas. Donald and Goofy told us about it while you were resting."

"Have you heard anything about Riku? He was taken by a group of Heartless." The pair frowned when the king slowly shook his head, solemn.

"Sorry, fellas. I haven't heard anything. I had planned to go look for him myself, but i wanted ta fill you guys in on what's going on."

"So what IS going on, King Mickey? Why are the Heartless back now?" Kairi asked, clasping her hands together in front of her. The mouse king sighed faintly at her question, frowning.

"I'm not too sure when it started, but we noticed Stars were starting to blink out. I received a message from Yin Sid saying a dark force was quickly growing. I went out to check it myself, and that's when I ran into a cloaked figure directing the Heartless."

"Cloaked figure?! The organization? But we defeated them all already!" Sora interrupted, jumping forward to stand beside the two. Mickey merely shook his head.

"That's what I thought of too, at first. His cloak was different, and he barely reacted when I confronted him. He recognized me, but that's about as far as it went. I tried to figure out what he was up to, but he would only say one thing: '_It has been set into motion. The wheels of Fate are turning once more. The darkness will win this time. The Keyblade's chosens will fall one by one.'_ "

"That doesn't sound good…" Kairi mumbled nervously. This guy sounded serious. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well." Mickey began, walking back to his desk. "First off, I want you fellas to rest up here. Chip and Dale are going to upgrade your Gummi Ship in preparation for your next journey."

"Where are we going? To new worlds? Are we gonna go find that guy and make him talk?!" Mickey smiled at the brunette's enthusiasm and dedication. Chuckling softly, he nodded.

"New worlds have appeared, but you'll have to go through a few old ones to get there. While you're out there, you're to find any information on the cloaked man, and look for Riku too. I'll be conducting my own search and information gathering too. We'll have to work as a team to defeat this new threat to peace."

"So when are we gonna go? I'm ready to find Riku and beat the bad guy!" Sora exclaimed, eager to do both of which he said.

Chuckling as Donald went to scolding his overexcitement, Mickey slowly shook his head. "Not today, Sora. It'll take a few days to upgrade the ship and gather everything you'll need for your journey. Take this time to rest and prepare yourselves. We have a long road ahead of us all."

Giggling at Sora's deflated look, Kairi looked at the small king and smiled. "Thank you, your Majesty. We'll do our best!"

* * *

><p>Apparently, a bored Sora is a very big problem to anyone in his path to get unbored. As the king had said, it took a few days to get the ship upgraded. During that time, Sora had been bored out of his mind. He'd done everything possible to keep from getting bored.<p>

The boy had trained with Donald and Goofy, done some keyblade practice with Kairi, roamed and roamed the halls countless times, practically haunting them with how often he went down them. He'd even gone to Mickey's study and poked around in a few of the books there, hoping to find something to drown out his boredom. Pluto was a good source of entertainment for a while, but that eventually got boring as well.

The most entertaining part to Kairi, had been when the boy decided to try and 'help' around the castle to alleviate his boredom. Suffice to say, the boy was now banned from setting foot in the kitchen, and could not come within a ten foot radius of the castle water well. No one had managed to figure out yet how the boy had burnt the water in the pot, or how he ended up falling INTO the well that had a short opening.

Kairi, on the other hand, had been a saint those few days. She'd spent a lot of time chatting with the Queen or Daisy, or sitting in the library reading. She was also doing research on the worlds that they might come across, and the worlds that Sora and the others had already been to. She didn't want to go in unprepared like the others normally would.

At long last, and for the sake of the staff and residents sanity, the Gummi Ship had finally be announced as 'upgraded'.

The group was to gather in the courtyard and head to the gummi hanger together. And of course Sora, in his normal overrambunctions nature, barely gave the group time to gather before he took off towards the hanger.

Kairi could only chuckle and shake her head before following after the excited teen. The others followed after her, the king, queen and Daisy coming along to see them off.

Reaching the hanger first, Sora looked around and smiled. It too had not changed since the last time they had been here. Looking up at the 'control room', Sora shouted and waved. "Chip! Dale! Hey guys!" His grin widened when he spotted Dale waving down at him with just as much enthusiasm as he had.

"Sora! You could have at least waited on us, you know." Was the first words out of Kairi's mouth when she caught sight of the brunette, the others filling in after her.

"Sorry, Kairi. I'm just so ready to get going and find Riku! And take down that cloaked guy!" He spoke, bouncing from one foot to the other impatiently.

Sighing and shaking her head, Kairi smiled at the boy. "You'll never change, Sora." Ignoring his cheeky grin, she turned back to Mickey and the other two. "Thank you for the hospitality and for upgrading our ship, your majesty. We'll do our best to find Riku and get any information we can on the guy."

The small mouse king nodded, smiling up at Kairi.

"It's the least we can do for you fellas. You've done so much for us and the other worlds already. Just make sure ya be careful and report back anything ya hear, ok?"

"Will do, your majesty!" Donald and Goofy piped up, saluting the king. Kairi giggled as she nodded, while Sora did his customary pose and hands behind his head.

"Your first stop should be Master Yen Sids tower, alright? He has more information on what's going on."

Queen Minnie walked up, smiling at the four. "Be careful, everyone. Stay safe and stay together. Good luck on your travels."

"And don't forget to let us know if you hear anything about Riku, ok your majesty?" Sora interrupted, hopping forward. Chuckling, the mouse king merely nodded. "Of course, Sora. You four will be the first to know if anything comes up."

"And the same for that cloaked guy too!" He added, frowning. "I won't let him get away with destroying our home and attacking other worlds."

"Come ooon, Sora! I thought you wanted to go already?" Kairi teased, standing beside Donald and Goofy. The three were already near the Gummi Ship, ready to board.

"Oh, right! Wait for me, guys!" Sora sprinted to join his friends, grinning sheepishly at them. "Sorry." Kairi merely smiled and turned toward the three left behind, waving at them.

"We'll see you all soon!"

Boarding the Gummi Ship, finally, they made their way to the cockpit. It was bigger than before, able to hold three seats in front of the big window. Another seat stood in front of a panel with a circular screen above it, a white line rotating around it like a clock hand. There were three other chairs near the back, extras they figured.

Kairi chuckled softly to herself as she watched the boys, mainly Sora, oogle over the new set up for the cockpit. She went over to the chair to the side, sitting down in it and looking over the controls.

'_Seems like it's some kind of radar screen. Probably for detecting Heartless ships or stray debris.'_ She thought, turning her attention to the front once done. "Are we ready to go yet?" Her response was the three boys looking up from the various new buttons and knobs on the main control panel, drawing out a laugh from the only girl on the ship.

Smiling sheepishly, they quickly sat in their chairs, Sora taking the middle one up front. Flipping the switches and pressing the buttons to start up the ship, he then took the wheel, a grin forming on his face.

"Now then! It's time to go find Riku!"

* * *

><p><em>drip<em>

...

….

_drip_

…

….

_**plip**_

A soft groan was heard in the vast darkness, its owner roused by the water that had dripped upon its face. The sound seemed to echo throughout the boundless confines of the darkness.

Eyes moved beneath closed lids, awareness slowly returning to his body and mind.

He groaned once more, strands of his silver hair falling over his face like a curtain as his head dipped forward.

"Hnngh…"

_drip_

…

….

_drip_

…

….

_**plip**_

One hand twitched, then again. Shifting it faintly resulted in a clinking sound echoing out and reaching his ears, the sound drawing his consciousness further into the waking world.

His eyelids slowly opened, uncovering dull blue eyes, though they were brightening as his mind focused.

Blinking slowly, he lifted his head up, gazing around to try and figure out where he was. His mind was blank, still not fully awake yet, so the memories weren't flowing.

Darkness. Pure darkness was the only thing he could see. The air had a slight chill to it, condensation heavy in the air as well. He could feel the rough texture of something hard and cold beneath his body, though he could not see what it was.

'_Where...am i?'_ He thought groggily, mind trying to catch up on how he got here. _'The last i remember….I was fighting. The Heartless were all around me. My strength ran out and-'_

His eyes widened as his memory finally came back to him. '_Sora! Kairi!'_ He was halted in his attempt to sit up as he was jerked back down, the clinking, rattling sound accompanying the movement.

Looking down, he frowned when he could just barely make out shackles around his wrists, chains attached to it and leading into the darkness. Lifting his head up, he gazed around again, hoping to spot anything or anyone that could assist him in getting out of whatever mess he found himself in.

Instead of a means to freedom meeting his eyes, he spotted, instead, the glowing yellow eyes shining brightly in the darkness before him.

_drip_

…

….

_drip_

…

….

_**plip**_

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><p><em>*Flops over dead* My gosh this chapter took forever! Sooo sorry for the long wait. Between work and other RL issues, it's taken me soo long to finish this chapter. Not much went on, but relevant things DID happen! Sora, Kairi and the others finally started out on their journey. And now we hit a suspense part with poor Riku. I wonder how next chapter will go, as I hope you're curious about too. Feel free to review and fav! I always enjoy a review, and i hope i didn't bore you instead. Until next time!<em>


	5. Red and Blue and Green, oh my!

Pairing: OcxSora

Genre: Romance, Adventure

Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...

Disclaimer: The only thing i own is mah oc and this story.

Comments: Sorry for the long wait for the next chapter. Been busy making my outfit for our town parade we had. Tis exhausting work along with work. Plus i had to sketch out a new outfit for Sora's journey. Then color it. That was a doozy. XD Anyways! Thanks for the reviews and follows! I enjoyed reading them. Hope you had a great new years! Hope you enjoy chapter 5~! \o3o/

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><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

"_Red and Blue and Green, oh my!"_

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><p>It took a few days more for the group to make it to the Mysterious Tower world that Yen Sid resided in. Thankfully, Sora hadn't caused too much trouble. He mostly had focused on the heartless ships that were in the lanes between. When he hadn't been doing that, he was exploring the ship's confines, or chatting with the others.<p>

Kairi had taken the time to learn about the radar she had command over, and occasionally the other buttons and features of the main control panel. She even had the honor of learning how to drive the Gummi Ship when they weren't being attacked by the Heartless.

Before they could get to his tower, they had to first get there via the train in Twilight Town. Gathering in the control room, the four checked their items before heading to the warp pads and teleported down to the world.

Looking around, Sora smiled at the sight of the Usual Place. Nothing seemed out of place, though Hayner, Pence and Olette hadn't gotten there yet.

"We should head to the tram station now before we run into any trouble." Kairi spoke, ever the responsible one.

All nodding, the group made their way out of the Usual Place and out of the alleyway. Just like there, the streets seemed to be quiet and calm. The people there were walking around, with smiles on their faces and without any care in the world.

"Well...It doesn't look like the Heartless have made it to this world yet." Sora spoke idly, leaning his weight on one leg as he rest his hands behind his head. The boy glanced around idly again, nodding his head. "Maybe the king was jumping to conclusion too early."

"Well, I guess that answers every doubt." A voice spoke from behind them, frustration clear in the tone. "If you're here, then something really is going on."

Blinking in surprise, Sora straightened and quickly turned around, spotting a very familiar face heading their way. It was a blonde-headed boy with hair that looked like it'd gone through a wind tunnel. He wore green camo capri pants, matching green camo shoes, a black shirt with a skull on it and a green vest over it. A gold X shaped necklace bounced around his neck as he ran over.

Two other teens hurried after him, barely managing to keep up. The first was a brown haired girl with an orange tank top with white flowers on it. Her pants were yellow capris, going along with her orange socks and white shoes with yellow accents. She wore a simple blue gem on a black corded necklace string.

Bringing up the rear was a heavier set boy with spiky brown hair held up by a sweatband. He wore a white undershirt. Over it was a red sleeveless shirt, an image of a dog and bones in the center. Down his left side of the shirt read the words "DogStreet" Baggy blue jeans, too long for him, completed his outfit. Lastly, blue and white sneakers squeaked as he ran behind the group, moving as fast as his legs could carry him.

Perking at the sight of his friends, Sora called out excitedly. "Hayner! Pence! Olette!" He then paused, thinking over what Hayner had said. "Heeey! What's that supposed to mean?!" He cried out to him, pouting as the three finally reached them.

"Well, uh..." Olette mumbled sheepishly. "...odd things do tend to happen just before you show up. But that's not the problem."

"Yeah!" Hayner interjected, stomping his foot. "Some weird white things have started showing up again!"

Pence stepped forwards this time, frowning nervously. "Yeah, they're not like the white ones we've seen before, though."

"How so?" Kairi asked curiously. She shared a glance with Sora, nodding. They were obviously talking about Nobodies. Focusing back on the trio, who were trying to think of its details, she continued. "What do they look like?"

"Well.." Pence began slowly. "It was more...silvery, rather than white. And it had a scarf." Olette moved forward this time, nodding eagerly. "And it had a hood! It kinda reminded me of a ninja."

"A ninja Nobody?" Sora repeated, brows creasing as he crossed his arms."That would be the first…" "That doesn't sound good." Kairi added, "You'd better watch yourself, Sora."

"That's the weirdest part though, guys." Pence spoke up. "They don't seem to be bothering anyone!" At the collective 'huh?', he explained himself. "Those things seem to be be looking for something, and avoid the people here."

"A-hyuk. I wonder who they're lookin for?" Goofy mumbled aloud, scratching the top of his head. Donald merely scowled. "Ah, phoey! They're just gonna cause trouble again! Nobodies always mean trouble!"

"Either way, we need to go and see what they're up to. Maybe we can make them leave." Sora stated, starting for the exit once he was done speaking. "Or at least find out what they are looking for so desperately" Unable to think of a response, the group started after Sora.

Kairi glanced back at the trio, smiling. "Stay here, guys. We'll take care of everything." Smiling, Olette nodded. "Beat up one for us, everyone!" The redhead nodded before following after her friends, determined to figure out if the appearance of the nobodies was connected to the stranger in the black cloak King Mickey spoke of.

* * *

><p>It took them some time to find the unknown Nobodies Hayner and the others spoke of. They had to fight through groups of heartless along the way, but they managed fairly easily. The group eventually found them in the Sandlot, moving about the empty area purposely. The Nobodies looked much like the 'ninjas' Olette compared them to, darting around the area with grace and speed unlike any of the other Nobodies they've seen before.<p>

A hood covered their heads, hiding all but the jagged smile from view. Pointed shoulder guards stuck out over their arms, zipper like details circling around where the shoulders and the rest of the body met. Another zipper ran from under the scarf, all the way down the middle of the Nobody. Its puffy purplish hued pants ended just below the knee, the customary Nobody symbol on each leg. Its upward pointed sharp shoes were also purplish in color, just like the clawed gloves that went up to its elbows. Finally, its purple hued scarf fluttered behind it, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

Sora gazed around, spotting six of the strange nobodies throughout the area. Just like Pence said, these Nobodies seemed to be searching for something or someone, ignoring any person that passed nearby.

"Something is definitely going on...Nobodies aren't harmless, why aren't they attacking?" He mumbled in confusion, frowning as he continued to watch the Nobodies. "Don't be too sure, Sora. Cause here comes one!" Kairi spoke up anxiously, as one of the Nobodies had spotted them and had turned towards the group. The next thing they knew, that Nobody was a few feet from the group, swaying side to side.

The group quickly pulled out their weapons, expecting the creature to attack. After nearly a minute had passed of it just standing there, they slowly lowered their weapons, frowning in confusion.

"It's...not attacking?" Kairi spoke, hesitant as she held her Keyblade to the ground.

The four watched warily as the Nobody continued to sway, then hop around the group, pausing occasionally to sway and stare. This went on for another minute before it made a -sasha-sasha- sound, then took off away from the group. It joined the others in the center of the sandlot before all six disappeared from view.

"What...What did i miss..?" Sora mumbled slowly, completely confused as he straightened and willed away his Keyblade. "They just...left."

Kairi frowned, willing away her Keyblade as well. "That is definitely not like normal Nobodies. My guess is that they didn't find what they were looking for...and left. We need to ask Master Yen Sid about those Nobodies."

Sora nodded, pumping a fist into the air. "Alright! We'll go inform Hayner and the others, then head to Yen Sid's tower. C'mon guys!" Sighing faintly while slowly shaking her head, Kairi smiled before following after the easily excitable boy.

It didn't take them long to return to the Usual Place, not as many Heartless intercepted them this go round. Once updating them on the Nobodies and the fact that they were leaving now, the two groups said their farewells before parting.

Sora led his group through the town, defeating any Heartless they came across, heading for the train station. Once paying for their tickets, they boarded the odd train they knew would take them to Yen Sid. Sitting down in the seat, Kairi sighed faintly.

"This is just getting more and more confusing… Heartless swarming our island. That strange man in the black cloak showing up. I'm not sure what exactly is going on, but i have a feeling all of these are connected...somehow." She grumbled, arms crossed as she tapped her arm in thought.

"Aww, i'm sure Master Yen Sid can clear it all up for us." Goofy spoke encouragingly, ever the positive one. Kairi smiled at his words. "Thanks, Goofy. I do hope you're right."

It took about thirty minutes or so for the mysterious train to take them to Yen Sid's tower, disappearing once they had exited the train. Unfazed by this, the four made their way inside the tower, then up the ridiculous amount of stairs. A few minutes later, the group reached the top of the stairs out of breath, Sora having challenged them to a race halfway up. Gathering their breaths, Sora pushed open the door first, the others following him inside.

'_Just the same as always.'_ The brunette boy thought, smiling faintly. The walls held oddly shaped bookshelves, scattered on the walls around the room, with even odder shaped books slotted into them. To the right was a decorative door, leading to where Sora knew the three good fairies resided. A simple chalkboard sat beside it, nothing written on it yet. The windows were shaped like stars and moons, giving them a clear view of the twinkling stars in the night sky.

Yen Sid sat at his desk in the center of the room, looking through an oversided book. His appearance hadn't changed either, still wearing the blue wizard's robe. His customarry blue wizard hat with golden stars sat atop his head. He was slowly stroking his gray beard, which parted down the middle near the end.

Walking over to stand before the table, all four saluted the retired keyblade master. "Master Yen Sid, sir!" Donald and Goofy spoke out, Sora and Kairi staying silent. The old wizard looked up, nodding to the four, who relaxed.

Sora stepped forward at this point, frowning. "Master Yen Sid, strange things are-" He paused when the old wizard lifted a hand to hault his speech. "I know why you four are here. There is much to talk about, but so very little time."

Sitting back in his chair, he began stroking his beard once he leaned down deeper, and with elbows on the desk, he connected his fingers together, with his eyes half-closed. Anthropomorphic duo shifted anxiously, then exchanged looks between themselves.

"As you are aware, a new Nobody has appeared in the world of Twilight Town. Its origin and goal is unknown, but as for its name...Infiltrator is what it is called." He began, a frown marring his face.

"They looked like they were looking for something." Kairi provided, anxious. Yen Sid nodded to her, humming faintly. "Then there's the black hooded man King Mickey came across. I bet he's controlling the Heartless!" Sora shouted, hands resting on the table top.

Yen Sid just briefly looked at him, at which Sota stiffed immediately. Kairi elbowed the boy, who stepped back into place. Looking over the group, Yen Sid frowned further.

"Not all is as it seems. Things are not as black and white as they may appear.", he announced in a calm manner, seemingly not angry at the boy's abrupt interruption. "You will find old and new friends in your journey. New worlds have appeared. Do not take things at face value, for you may loose a part of the bigger picture in the end. When the time comes, you must look where Nothing is to be found. This will be the start to the end of this journey. Only with Radiant Mastery and Valor's Edge side-by-side will the hidden truth be revealed and bring Hope and Faith back to the lost Pillar of Light."

Sora, Donald and Goofy stared at the magician with perplexed expressions, while Kairi's was contemplative. She nodded to the elderly man after a moment, recieving one in return. Turning to her companions, the red head spoke happily. "We should get ready to go, guys."

"Before you go, I suggest you visit the three Good Fairies before leaving. With the new dangers ahead in this journey, you will need to be prepared for them." With that said, the old wizard motioned to the side door before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Shrugging at each other, the four made their way into the other room, already able to hear the giggling gossip of the three fairies. Pushing the door open, they were met with the sight of Flora, Fauna and Merryweather sitting around a table, sipping tea. Telling who was which was always easy. Flora always wore red everything, Fauna wore all green, and Merryweather wore nothing but blue garments.

"Umm, excuse me?" Kairi called out softly, hands clasped behind her back. "Master Yen Sid told us to come see you?" The three turned to their visitors, perking up.

"Oh my! Why, It feels like it's been ages since we last seen you all." Flora spoke happily, fluttering over to the four. "It's good to see you all again." Merryweather piped up. "You all look very well." Fauna added, smiling softly.

Giggling, Kairi bowed her head. "Thank you. And..about the preparing?" She asked, unsure of what Yen Sid had meant. "Oh right!" Flora spoke, tapping her wand in her hand. "Now, just hold still dear, this will only take a moment." Goofy, Donald and Kairi quickly moved back from the boy, giving the fairies plenty of room.

Sora couldn't help clenching his eyes closed when Flora sent the beam of red at him. Opening his eyes, he sighed exasperatedly. '_Here we go again...'_ He grumbled in his mind, staring down at his all red outfit.

"No, no, no, this will not do." Merryweather spoke, flicking her wand. Sora's outfit was now all blue.

"I think this would look better." Waving her magic wand, Fauna made the boy's outfit completely green now.

"Oh my…" Kairi mumbled, watching the downhill argument with Goofy and Donald beside her. Sora had no choice but to endure the treatment.

"Red."

"Blue."

"Green."

"Red."

"Blue."

"Green."

"Re-"

"LADIES!" Sora cried exasperatedly, hands over his ears. Thoroughly startled, the three fairies stared at Sora, wide eyed. Catching his breath, he straightened before looking at them pleadingly. "Please not this again. Can't you just make up your mind?"

"Oh dear...we did it again. Sorry, deary." Flora spoke apologetically, the other two shooting their own apologetic looks. "Alright, all together now, girls." Lifting all three wands, they counted to three before shooting out beams of light at Sora, who clenched his eyes closed again. As the light faded, he quickly opened his eyes and looked down at himself when he heard his three companions gasp in surprise.

His shirt was black in color, a golden trim around the neckline. His jacket was a vibrant red, the inner hood blue. on the cuffs of the sleeves, a blue strip circled around, coming to a point halfway up the sleeves. Like the edge of the jacket, the cuffs had a golden trim along it too, separating the colors. Following the same pattern, his pants were mostly red, blue circling around the bottom and coming to a point at the front. Gold was etched between the two colors, and along the outline of his pockets. A blue belt wrapped around his waist, the end golden and jagged into three points.

His carrying pouches on either side of his hips were black like his shirt, the top flap outlined in gold. On the main portion of his pouches, a silver crown lay in clear display. Just like the rest of his outfit, his shoes were red in color, the front tipped in blue that went down the sides. The edges were trimmed yellow, while blue belts wrapped around the ankle and middle part of his shoe. The front of his shoe held a silver piece, which clinked when he tapped it on the floor. His gloves were also red, gold along the end. A blue belt wrapped around his wrist, also holding down a silver guard piece down the length of the gove, coming to a point between his middle and third finger.

Grinning brightly at his new attire, Sora looked up at the three and shouted. "Wow! This looks amazing! Thank you!" The good fairies all giggled at his enthusiastic reply, nodding. "You're welcome, deary. You can still use your other forms in this outfit, but we've also made your clothes a little more resistant to magic. As for you, my girl." Flora paused in her speech to flick some magic Kairi's way. Her clothes sparkled, but didn't change other than that. "I've made it so your clothes are more durable, and resistant to magic like Sora's. They will also help you channel your magic better, so you may further assist your friends during battle."

"Thank you, ma'am." Kairi replied shyly, thankful for the upgrade.

"You are most welcome, dears. We know your journey will be a tough one, but we have faith that you'll do just fine. Now then, i suggest you go to Twilight Town and stock up before heading to Radiant Garden."

"Why there?" Kairi asked curiously. "Master Yen Sid said that he sensed a mass of darkness in that direction. He believes it could be the man controlling the Heartless."

"That's good enough for me!" Sora butted in, grinning. "So let's go guys. We've gotta get ready!" Shaking her head while chuckling, Kairi bid the three fairies goodbye before following the other three out and down the stairs. She just knew things would be interesting from here on out.

* * *

><p>It was staring at him again.<p>

He was unsure how long he'd been chained up in this dark, dank dungeon, but it had been here the entire time. Frowning, Riku turned his gaze back to the cell door, a single Heartless standing quietly on the other side. No one or thing had come down here to check on him, none save the small Heartless. He had no clue why it stayed, or why it stared at him, he was just thankful that it stayed where it was.

'_Maybe that kick to the face knocked some sense into it.'_ He mused darkly. It hadn't tried to come any closer since the first day he'd awoken, getting kicked in the face when it tried to get closer to him.

He didn't mind the fact that no one had shown up, but it _had_ been a few days. He was starving, and that was making him weaker. The chains gave him no room at all to move, though he couldn't move much with how sore his body seemed to be.

'_Are they trying to starve me to death or something? Moreover, if they had the Heartless attack...why'd they keep me alive?'_ This was an unsettling thought. Would they try to take Sora next? Kairi maybe? The thought of them taking Kairi made him shudder, the chains clinking from the action. Sora could handle himself, Kairi was still learning to wield her Keyblade better in battle.

'_I almost feel insulted, though, that only a single Heartless is guarding me...'_ A few moments after he had this thought, he frowned. '_Wait...a single Heartless...That makes no sense. Heartless _always _run together in groups...'_ He turned his gaze back to the lone Heartless, eyeing it skeptically.

'_It's just a simple Shadow Heartless. Not a Neo, nor an emblem Heartless. Why is it alone instead of with others.'_ One of his eyebrows twitched. '_And WHY does it insist on STARING at me?'_ The Heartless merely blinked, as if reading his thoughts.

Riku growled lowly, the Heartless continued to stare.

He frowned further when the Heartless blinked and looked away, cocking its head to the side as if listening to something. He was relieved that it finally took its gaze off him, now if only it'd leave too. Instead, it turned its gaze back on the frustrated boy, blinking calmly.

He was surprised when the Heartless finally stood up, it had been sitting there for however long it'd been, he had no clue. It seemed agitated by something, glancing between him and to its right. This caught the boy's interest, was the Heartless conflicted? He snorted at the mere notion.

'_Heartless can't think for themselves. They're too stupid and primitive.'_ Despite this thought, he continued to watch the Heartless, which seemed to grow more agitated by the minute. Finally, the Heartless took one last look at him, dare he say forlornly, then hopped into a small portal.

Letting out a relieved sigh when he was sure it was gone, Riku tugged on his restraints once more. '_Not budging at all. Looks like i'll be stuck here until whoever captured me comes...or i wither away.'_ Looking up at the roof of the cell, he let another sigh out. "Come on, Sora…"

Riku was startled awake when he felt something brush against his left arm. Jolting up, he grunted when he was jerked back down by the restraints. Blinking blearily, he gazed around, trying to remember. '_I must've dozed off...' _he concluded, frowning. He was obviously getting weaker, that much was clear. If he didn't get food soon…

Shaking himself to rid his mind of that thought, he decided to figure out why he had woken from his hunger induced slumber. Thinking back, he recalled that he had felt something brush against his arm. Frowning, he looked down at said arm, brows knitting together when he spotted something near his left hand. Even after his eyes had become adjusted to being in this dark cell for so long, he couldn't fully make out the object.

"At least it's not that little Heartless…" He grumbled faintly, still trying to see. If he leaned just right, he was able to peer closer at the object. When he was finally able to see it, he stared in confusion.

"Wha-" It made no sense whatsoever. "Why...Why is there a little flower here?" Staring at it for a few minutes longer, making him able to tell it was a purple-ish color and about the size of a dandelion, he then gazed around. He would've woken if anyone had came in through the door. So how did someone- His thoughts derailed when another streaked through his mind.

'_No...it couldn't have been...'_ He frowned in disbelief, unable to accept the only possibility. But that was the thing...that _was_ the only possibility left. This one thought brought on multiple questions, and very few answers. His main question, however, wracked his brain and took main focus over any other thought.

'_Why...Why would a _Heartless _leave a flower for me?'_

* * *

><p>Hey guys! Once again, gonna say sooo sorry for taking so long. Had a lot of trouble with this chapter, and with some RL stuff too. But hopefully now that i got past this part, things will go more smoothly. Just wanna throw this out...Yen Sid creeps me out with those beady eyes. That is all. XD Now, anyone else confused by what he said? Or anyone figure it out? We'll find out what he means as the story progresses. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the boys misery. Next chapter, we'll get to see more of Riku and his stalk-I mean the little Heartless. Until then! Read, review, fav!<p> 


	6. To Gain One's Trust

Pairing: OcxSora

Genre: Romance, Adventure

Summary: She was not like the others, no. She was different. Special even. She had what they all lacked...memories. Spurred by this, she begins a long journey to find out more about the 'outside world'. One that will have many trials, tribulations and maybe even...

Disclaimer: The only thing i own is mah oc and this story.

Comments: Trying a new spacer/scene change method. Hopefully it looks better. Might go back and change the others if it does. XD I'd like to thank all the reviewers, i enjoyed your reviews. It's thanks to you that I've had the motivation and excitement to continue this story. I never would have thought that one of _my_ stories would gain interest like it has. Thank you all. And i hope you enjoy chapter 6~! \o3o/

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><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>

"_To Gain One's Trust"_

* * *

><p>Riku sighed in aggravation. It was really starting to get old. Fast. The Heartless would stick around his cell for what he believed to be a few hours, then would disappear. He'd eventually doze off due to boredom, or lack of energy from going without food. He was really starting to think whoever kidnapped him, really wanted him to starve to death. The oddest part was that there'd always be some new 'gift' next to his hand whenever he woke from his slumber.<p>

'_This...is no normal Heartless.'_ He mused one day, at least what he believed to be a new day. '_It always brings something new, never the same thing twice.'_ What's more, he noticed that it had started to stand inside the cage after the first few 'gifts', though it never went any farther. '_First the flower, then a spiky red leaf. The other day it brought a smooth black rock, and yesterday it was a blue seashell.'_

He was thankful for that, though even it started chipping away at his resolve to not become interested in figuring the creature out. By the routine, he'd figured at least three days had gone by, and no sign of food had been spotted. His strength was diminishing, exhaustion setting in faster as time passed by. The little Heartless had been gone for some time, he was unsure how long. Had it been minutes, hours, a day even? It felt like time around him seemed to drag on, inching by slowly.

He constantly wondered about the lack of guards too, and Heartless. If there was one Heartless coming here already, more could as well, and he knew _those_ wouldn't hesitate to jump him. That brought his dazed train of thought back to the lone Heartless. Thinking on it, he did notice it wasn't exactly like the others. That particular one was smaller, and something seemed off about its antennas. He couldn't figure out what, since it stayed so far away from him, shrouded in the shadows. It never attacked him, merely watched. Then came the random 'gifts' it left behind. The Heartless that seemed to stalk him day and night...acted like it had a _heart_.

Riku was startled out of his thoughts at the sound of shuffling nearby. With his senses somewhat sharpened, he looked around to seek the source of the noise. At first glance, he didn't spot anything unusual in his dreary cell. On second glance, he figured out where the noise had come from. He sighed heavily.

"Really now? Don't you have somewhere _else_ to be? Preferably anywhere _away_ from me?" He grumbled, eyeing the little Heartless standing a few feet away from his foot. He was too exhausted and hungry to tolerate it right now, his stomach letting out an agreeing grumble.

The Heartless shuffled closer at his stomach growling, hands clasped together. Riku could only stare at it suspiciously, as he was too weak to do anything else. Swaying side to side, the Heartless mimicked the growl from Riku's stomach, though the sound was interrupted by it making a hiccuping sound. In the end, the sound came out odd and slightly humorous.

"Rrr-hic."

Riku arched an eyebrow as he watched the Heartless shuffle closer, occasionally making that odd sound. Soon it was just out of his kicking reach, hands still clasped together as it stared at him. He watched as it lifted its clasped hands, opening them palm up. His curious gaze become confused as he stared at the small object in its hand. He couldn't see it too well, but he knew it was light colored, yellow possibly.

That's when the smell hit his nose, causing his stomach to do flips, growling hungrily.. '_...Food.'_ The Heartless had shifted closer when his stomach had growled again, standing near his foot now. Lifting its hands higher, it held the piece closer. It was about that time that he realized just how close he'd willingly let the Heartless come, snapping his focus away from the tempting food. Growling faintly, the boy shifted his foot, trying to kick the Heartless away.

He just barely missed kicking it, the Heartless scurrying to the side away from his leg, clasping its claws around the food to prevent it from falling to the floor. '_It still remembers being punted before….good.'_ His gaze lingered on the creature's claws, knowing the food was just beyond them. Shaking his head, he turned away, growling faintly. '_Pull it together, Riku. That thing is taunting you. As soon as you let it closer, it'll attack and take your heart. Don't give in.'_ His stomach groaned in protest to his thoughts.

He neither gave thought, nor acknowledged whether a normal Heartless could contrive a plan like that or not. He simply cast it to the back of his mind, glaring at the small Heartless instead, hoping it'd take the hint and go away. Surprisingly enough, the thing sighed heavily, lowering its head slightly. Lifting its head, it ate the piece of food before glancing at him. It stared at him one last time before hopping up into a portal, disappearing from the cell with minimal noise.

Surprised that it had actually _listened _to him, Riku stared at the spot it had disappeared at, blinking slowly. '_Well….that was unexpected.'_

* * *

><p>He growled as he yanked listlessly on the restraints on his arms, sighing when they barely budged. It'd been a few more days since the tempting food incident, the little Heartless appearing each day to offer him the same food. Each time he rejected the food, the Heartless would eat it, then leave for the 'day'. By now, he'd been without food for over a week, and his body was suffering for it.<p>

The Heartless hadn't been here at all today, his curiosity peaking. His thoughts began to wander, having nothing else to do in his dismal situation. He wondered where it had gone to, or if it'd try again to sway him with food. At this point, he might actually take it, even at the risk of losing his heart. His thoughts then began to wander to his friends, wondering if they were alright or not. Did they escape the mass of Heartless that'd attacked them? Were they trying to find him now? Would they find him before he wasted away?

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he did not hear the opening and closing of a portal. Nor did he see the small figure making its way towards him, his chin resting down against his chest. The boy was near delirious by this point, unable to think or act properly. Because of this, he barely reacted when he felt something brush against his arm. Blinking slowly, his gaze shifted to his left when he felt something against his arm again. A darker mass than the shadows around him stood to his left, a soft yellow light emanating from its face. It was the little Heartless.

Blinking up at him, it stared at him with its big eyes, hands clasped together like normal. Seeing him unresponsive, it shifted closer, opening a hand and offering the piece of food to him. After the boy merely stared at it for a whole minute, the creature huffed in irritation. Shuffling closer so it stood right beside him, it took the yellow piece between its claws. Tilting its head slightly to the side to get a better view of his face, it held the piece up to his lips, waiting.

Mind muddled, Riku stared at the piece once more. Just when the creature thought it'd have to force feed the malnourished boy, he finally parted his lips, allowing the piece to be slipped into his mouth. '_...Sweet...'_ That was the first thought that drifted through his mind, his attention focused on chewing. '_It's sweet...and juicy.'_ It was like eating the forbidden fruit, the taste so deliciously sweet and juicy. After managing to swallow, he felt another piece pressed to his lips. This time, he didn't hesitate to take the piece into his mouth, savoring the flavor hungrily.

The third piece had his mind finally rousing from its dazed state. Finishing off the food, he looked at the provider of his long denied sustenance, stilling at the sight of the Heartless from before. He couldn't believe it, couldn't wrap his mind around the sight.

"Rrr-hic!" it seemed to chirp happily, bouncing slightly in place.

He continued to stare wide-eyed as the Heartless scuttled back away from him, then hop into its portal. Long after the Heartless had left, his gaze remained where it had been, mind literally buzzing with thoughts that just made no sense. The only thought that seemed to stay at the forefront of his mind, was one that he just couldn't believe.

'_That Heartless...It..._understands_. It's not like the others.'_

* * *

><p>'<em>He finally ate!'<em> She near squealed aloud, traveling through her portal to her next destination. '_He finally let me give him food!'_

Oh how she'd fretted over him for the past week, watching him slowly waste away. She'd tried gaining his trust through the pretty things she'd found during her 'outings', especially the flower. She remembered many flowers from her memories, ones of all colors and shapes. They brought much joy to the ones in her memories. They smiled when they gazed at the flowers, or were given them by the girl from her memories.

She wanted the boy, Riku, to smile. Just like he'd do when with the boy Sora and his other friend Kairi. Even when she took the time to figure out a way to 'say' his name, he'd not reacted positively. Nothing seemed to be working in her favor. Surely he could see that she was doing everything in her power to prove she was harmless? Was there something she was doing wrong?

She'd become desperate when he continued to waste away, no food coming from his captor. She knew there would not be any ever. She'd heard how the cloaked man had deemed the boy 'no longer necessary', leaving him to his fate. She would _not_, however. The three of them were under _her_ protection, and she would not let anything happen to them if she could help it.

When Riku didn't respond in his normal snide attitude at her being so close, she knew she had to do something. The elation that washed through her body when he'd ate that piece would forever remain in her memories. Her only regret was that she'd only brought three pieces. Hopefully that will tide him over for the day, it takes so long for her to go and retrieve the food.

Tomorrow, however, she'd bring a whole slice of the food. She'd give him as much as he'd take, just to get him back to the way he was before. And once his strength was back….then, she'd plan out his escape.

Her destination reached, she opened the portal and hopped out, feet splashing in the water below her. Walking up onto the drier sand, she shook what she could off of her feet. Gazing around at the dismal scenery around her, she shook her head before focusing back on her task. Heading for the foliage, she prayed that her brethren didn't attack while she was away, or that the cloaked man would find out what she was up to.

'_Sora,'_ she prayed in her mind, wishing with all of her being. '_please hurry...'_

It was the next day when Riku spotted the Heartless again. Even with that small amount of food, it revitalized him enough that he could think straight. And think he did.

'_I know Ansems reports stated that Heartless could think, but I just couldn't believe it. They only blindly follow orders… But this Heartless. This one is more like the reports. How else could it have _known _I needed food? Let alone the fact that it actually _fed _me!_' He just knew he was going to have a splitting headache by the end of this.

'_Then there's the fact that it knew what type of food was edible. Like...Like it _knew_. But...Heartless _lose _their memories when they become Heartless. It _shouldn't _know.'_ His brows creased as he thought on this. Sighing faintly, he looked out toward the door to his cell, just as the Heartless appeared. '_I can't make assumptions yet...I need to observe and study this Heartless. I need to find out how and why it's different...and how I can use that to get out of here.'_

The little Heartless gazed over at the boy, eyes bright. Ambling closer, Riku was able to spot a considerable chunk of orange colored fruit in its hands. Unconsciously licking his dry lips, he watched the creature make its way over, noting the lack of 'waddle' normal Heartless tend to have when they walk.

It halted a foot away from his feet, watching cautiously. '_Another strike. Most Heartless charge right in...'_ Seeing him remaining calmly with it so close, it shuffled over to stand near his left side. His gaze never left the creature, watching it with weariness. Encouraged by his lack of violence towards it, the Heartless looked down at its offering. With nimble claws, it sliced off a decent sized piece, holding up the bite to his lips. He didn't take it at first, wanting to watch the Shadow, observing its appearance while it was so close.

'_Its right antenna tilts down lower than the other, which sits more straighter up. And it is smaller than normal Shadow Heartless. This one is nearly a head shorter than the others.'_ He finally took the offered bite, watching it eagerly cut another piece off as he slowly ate. '_Then there's the 're….softer…. Bright just like the others, but not as...expressionless. There's definitely something different about this one.'_

The little Heartless continued to cut off slices of the fruit and feed it to the boy, unfazed by the critical gaze it was receiving. When the fruit was all consumed, it moved back away from him, swaying faintly in place. He had no idea that it was quite pleased with itself, and him, with the progress being made.

"Rrr-hic!" Eyes brightening for a moment, it then bobbed its head before hopping into its portal. Where it went, Riku had no clue, unsure if he really wanted to know or not. At this point, as long as he regained his strength, he'll take whatever blessing he'd get. He knew his good luck would run out sooner or later, he just hoped it'd be after he escaped.

Their little routine continued for the next four days, Riku's health recovering quickly in that short amount of time. He observed the Heartless each time it returned, barely focusing on the food he was given. Sometimes it'd be bitter, or tart. A lot of times it was sweet, but they were all juicy regardless. The little Heartless would do the same each time. It would stop at his feet, then move to his left side before feeding him bite-sized pieces of whatever fruit it had. Once done, it would move back, make that odd growl hiccup sound, then disappear for the rest of the day.

While it was gone, he would think on what he learned about it for that day, then add it to his plan to escape. It was during the normal routine when Riku's luck finally ran out. In the midst of the Heartless feeding him a sweet fruit, the two were startled by the sounds of heavy footsteps coming their direction. The two shared a panicked glance before he hissed lowly at it.

"_Go!"_ It squeaked in surprise before it summoned a portal and lept into it, disappearing just as a shadow was cast upon the ground. Steeling his emotions, he glared at the shadow, heart hammering in his chest. '_My kidnapper finally appears. Wonderful...'_

His focus sharpened when he caught sight of a dark cloak, completely covering the owner from sight. '_Organization 13? No...the cloak's different...i can tell that much.' _A deep chuckle reverberated throughout the small cell, the figure's shoulders shaking slightly.

"What's so funny?" Riku hissed, tugging faintly on his bindings. Oh how he wanted to smack the person across the face with his keyblade. After his chuckles died down, the cloaked figure stepped closer to the bars, standing there a moment before speaking.

"_**Oh how the mighty have fallen."**_ His voice gave Riku chills, much like Ansem did back when he was younger, and more nieve. This man was not one to be taken lightly, that much he figured. "_**Though, for going so long without nourishment, you look quite refreshed to me."**_ Riku's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he didn't reply.

The man straightened, clasping his gloved hands behind his back as he slowly paced back and forth before the cell. "_**It was quite easy obtaining you, boy. I can't fathom how that fool let himself be bested by a child such as yourself."**_

'_Ansem? Or Xemnas?'_ Riku pondered, eyes never leaving the cloaked stranger. '_Could he be talking about them?'_ Already this wasn't looking too good. This guy seemingly knew of their plights against Xemnas and Ansem, also known as Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody. He wondered just how long this man had been observing them.

"_**No matter. Your usefulness has expired. I have no further use of you, boy."**_ He chuckled darkly, turning back the way he came. As if remembering something, he paused just before the wall. "_**Do not worry, you won't waste away here. The Heartless shall deal with you on the morrow...or the next.."**_ With that, he disappeared down the hallway, steps slowly fading away.

Long after the cloaked man had left, Riku continued to stare at the cell bars, scowling. He turned over the words in his head time and time again, trying to find anything hidden within the words. A few had caught his interest, but he didn't have enough information to follow through. The last phrase, however, was what gathered most of his focus. Turning his gaze away, he stared down at his left hand, clenching it as he hoped in the back of his mind that the little Heartless would return soon.

'_I need to get out of here...immediately.'_

* * *

><p>To his disappointment, the little Shadow did not return that day. The next day was spent anxiously tugging on his binds, wondering if the Heartless would be sent on him before the little Shadow would show up. Despite the fact that he didn't trust it as far as he could punt it, Riku had come to expect, even anticipate, the appearance of his dark companion in his lonely captivity. If not for it, he would have surely wasted away and perished by now.<p>

As much as it pained him to think it….he owed his life to the small creature.

The good thing about this whole odd situation, is that he could use it to help him escape. He'd rushed to complete the plan he had in his mind the previous night, knowing he didn't have much time left. There was a lot of holes and weak points in it, but he'd make do with what he had. Riku and his friends were good at improvising on the fly.

To his growing anxiousness, the little Heartless did not show up at all that day. Not one peep from it, nor little gifts it sometimes left after feeding him. He waited all day for it to show up, disappointed when he had figured the day was already over.

'_Come on, little guy….where are you?'_

The following day, however, his luck seemed to lean in his favor. Like clockwork, the little Heartless appeared inside his cell, blinking as it gazed around. In its claws was a whole blue fruit, one he remembered to be a little on the tart side, but still quite juicy and tender. After the first few times it was allowed to feed him, it had begun to bring whole pieces of fruit each day, letting him eat his fill.

"Hey." He called out quietly, though urgently. This got the Shadow's attention, who scurried over to his side. Taking a deep breath, Riku prepared himself for the first step of his plan. '_I can't believe i'm going to try and talk with it. I don't have much choice, however...i've run out of time..'_

"I want you to do something for me." He spoke slowly, thinking out how to make it understand. It merely tilted its head to the side, gazing up at him curiously. Sighing faintly, he tried again. "Help me. I need to get out and find my friends."

To his relief, the Heartless perked up, bouncing slightly in place. "Rrr-hic! Rrr-hic!"

"Yes, yes. Whatever. I need a key. Something to unlock my shackles." He finished, jerking on the restraints to show it what he meant. The little creature stared at his wrists, then dropped the fruit beside him. He watched it shuffle to the bars, glancing back at him, near hesitant looking. As if it wanted to stay here with him instead of going off.

"I'll be fine." He assured it, frowning slightly. "Just hurry up before anyone comes!" It hesitated a moment longer before disappearing from sight. Riku sighed once more, slumping back. "Look at me...relying on an odd Heartless to escape...Sora will never let me hear the end of this." Shaking his head to clear out the negative thoughts, he continued to wait for the Shadow to return.

Every minute that passed without it showing up caused Riku's anxiety to grow. They were running out of time, and fast. He could almost feel the darkness growing stronger, drawing closer. Thankfully, Riku heard the sound of shuffling footsteps drawing closer to his cell. Either it was the Heartless sent to devour his heart, or it was his little fetcher returning. His answer was revealed as the little Heartless finally came into view.

Looking into the cell, it did a little happy dance, holding up the keyring to show Riku. "Rrr-hic!" He couldn't help the small smile that made its way onto his face. It lasted only for a brief moment before it was replaced by his usual expression. He looked around warily, checking for any signs of incoming trouble, before he drew his attention back to his uncanny companion. "Good job. Now bring it here and release me."

Just as he told, the little Heartless placed the keys through the bars of the cell. It then squeezed through the bars, which were just a little too narrow for it to walk through. After a little tugging, it came free, flopping onto the floor with a small squeak of surprise. Lifting its head up, it gave itself a quick shake before standing. Making its way toward Riku, it scooped up the keyring, holding it tightly in its claws.

When it finally reached him, Riku tugged on his chains. "You need to find the keyhole and put the key in. Understand?" He didn't really expect it to, but he was hopeful for anything to go right for once. The Heartless gazed down at the cuffs curiously, tilting its head side-to-side, as if thinking. Its gaze drifted from the keys, to the cuffs, then back again to repeat the process. After doing this about three times, it made a happy noise before taking one of the keys and poking it at the keyhole. Riku held his breath as it kept missing, wishing greatly that he had the wiggle room to do it himself. He, of course, didn't, so he had to rely on it instead.

After the umpteenth time, it finally managed to shove the key into the lock, turning it with a deft flick of the wrist. The cuff came open with a soft click, freeing Riku's bound wrist. He quickly took the key and unlatched his other wrist, throwing it away when he was finally free. Standing up proved to be a little difficult, seeing as he had been in a sitting position for all of his captivity. Using the wall as support, he flexed his stiff legs before taking tentative steps forward.

It took him about a minute or two, but he soon reached the cell door, the little Heartless trailing behind him quietly. Lifting an arm, he called out to his keyblade, Way to the Dawn, aiming it at the lock on the door. A bright light shot out of the tip of his blade and into the keyhole, a resounding click heard before the light dispersed. Reaching out, Riku pulled the door open and shuffled out into the hallway, blade ready.

'_So far so good.'_ He thought, gazing each way. It looked like the path to the left lead to a staircase leading up. '_Now comes the harder part...'_ He paused when he felt the right leg of his pants tugged slightly. Gazing down, he locked gazes with the little Shadow, who barely held onto the clothing. '_Oh right...what do i do with it now?'_

He stared at it for a moment longer before looking back forward and walking, coincidentally tugging his leg away from its grip. This caused the little creature to pause, uncertain about the interaction. Was he leaving her behind? Did he not want her to come with him? A strange pressure was felt in her chest, like something was squeezing it. What was this strange feeling? She gazed back toward Riku, watching him walk away.

* * *

><p><em>Phew! Finally done! I had so much trouble with this chapter, mostly Riku being stubborn with his parts. But meh, i managed to make it. As for the cliffhanger...muahahahahahaa! You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see how it goes! Ta ta for now, guys!<em>


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